Addressing plate



March 3, s ALLEN ADDRESSING PLATE Filed Nov. 2, 1931 any:

Patented Mar. 3, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 12 Claims.

My invention relates to a printing device and is more particularly concerned with the addressing plates used in addressing machines, multigraphing and duplicating machines or the like.

In each of the aforementioned types of machines provision is made for inserting an addressing plate before each printing operation and for removing the same after the printing operation, so that different names and addresses may be printed on envelopes, newspaper wrappers, postal cards or the like, and in the case of letters, such as multigraph letters, the body of the letter may be printed and with each impression thereof a different name, address, and, if desired, salutation may be printed therewith.

It is the present practice to prepare these addressing plates so as to include the title or prefix of the addressee as a permanent part of the plate. That is to say, if, for example, a communication is to be addressed to a Mr. John Smith, the plate is made up to include the prefix Mr. as a permanent part of the plate.

It is frequently desirable to send certain communications directly to men, and at other times to send communications to the women of the same names and addresses, as, for example, Where a firm desires at times to send communications to men, advertising some article appealing only to men, and at other times desires to send communications to women, advertising articles appealing only to women. Where, therefore, a plate is made out, for example, in the name of a man with the prefix Mr. and the corresponding salutation as permanent parts thereof, and it later becomes desirable to address a woman of the same name at the same address, it then becomes necessary to make an entirely new plate in the womans name, having the prefix Mrs. or Miss and the appropriate salutation permanently fixed thereto. This necessitates keeping a plurality of sets of plates having the appropriate prefixes and salutations thereon. This is objectionable, both from the standpoint of expense and the handling, storing and maintaining of a large number of plates.

It is one of the main objects of the present invention to provide an addressing plate which may be used for addressing either a man or a woman and to provide suitable means whereby the prefix and the salutation may be changed at will. That is to say, I propose to provide an addressing plate having thereon the name only, such, for example, as John Smith", and provide prefix and salutation forms whereby the prefix Mr. or Mrs. or any other desired prefix, and

the appropriate salutation, may be applied to the plate, and may be replaced by any other prefix and salutation as conditions require.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is an isometric view of an addressing plate and holder therefor, embodying the principles of the present invention;

Figure 2 is an isometric view of one of the salutation forms;

Figure 3 is an isometric view of a prefix form for the name appearing on an addressing plate;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along the line 55 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is an isometric view of a combined prefix and salutation form.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral [0 indicates, generally, an addressing plate holder which is adapted to sup-port and firmly clamp an addressing plate I I in printing position thereon. It may be well to state here that the plate which I have chosen to show is commonly used for, supplying the inside address, or the address to a letter, and contains the name and address of the party to whom a communication is to be sent, as well as the salutation. The holder is of known construction, except as hereinafter described, and comprises a rectangular plate I2 provided with a slot l3, said slot being located substantially centrally of said plate and extending longitudinally thereof for substantially the length of said plate. A fiat metal .strip M is slidably mounted in the slot I3 for limited movement and has anoperating handle I5 suitably secured to one end thereof. The other end of said strip has a substantially triangularly shaped plate l6 secured thereto, as by. meansof screws H, the underface of the forward edge of this plate being .cut away to providea shoulder I8 and flange IQ for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

A metal strip2ll, having aflange 2| is secured to the forwardedge of the plate [2, the flange 2| extending inwardly over and above the upper face of said plate. For a printing operation the handle I5 is drawn back to the extent of its movement, that is, to the right as illustrated in the drawing, and the name plate I I is placed on the plate l2 with the forward edge of the plate ll underlying the fiange 2|. The triangularly shaped plate I6 is then movedforward, by means of strip I4- and handle I5, until the rear edge of.

. positioning of plate II.

" ily be formed or cast from type metal.

have illustrated the forms with the prefix and j the addressing plate abuts the shoulder I8 of plate I6, in which position the flange I9 of plate I6 will overlie a portion of the upper surface of the addressing plate. The addressing plate H is thus firmly clamped to the plate I2 during the printing operation.

'I provide that portion of the plate I2 which receives the name plate II with two dovetail grooves 22 and 23. These grooves may be formed in the plate I2 in any suitable or preferred manner and are so located that when the name plate II is in printing position on the plate I2, groove 23 will be in line with the name portion of the address appearing on the plate II and groove 22' V will be in line with the name portion of the salutation appearing on the plate. The purpose of these grooves is to receive the prefix. forms 24 and 25 illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, respectively. The form 24, which may carry the prefix for'co'm pleting the Salutation, or the salutation itself, is

adapted to be inserted into the groove 22, while the groove 22, forms therewith a dovetail joint.

It will be noted that the upper surface of the form is cut away to provide a projection 26 and shoulders 21 and 28. When the form is in place in its groove the shoulder 28 thereof isfiush with the upper surface of plate I2.

The addressing plate II is. provided with slots 29 suitably disposed for reception of the projections. 260i the forms 24 and 25, and when plate ,II is in position on the plate I2 the walls at the inner ends of these slots abut the inner ends of projections 26 of theforms and limit endwise movement of plate II toward the forms 24 and 25.. Thisis advantageous as facilitating accurate To secure the forms in the grooves I provide headed screws 30 which thread into the forms from belowthrough suitable bores 3I formed in the plate I2. The plate I2 is also recessed, as shown at 32 to provide for the reception of the heads 33 of the screws 30. The prefix itself, as will readily be apparent from the drawing, is formed on the upper surface of the projection 26. This may be done in any suitable or preferred manner, although the entire form, together with the prefix thereon, may read- While I Salutations Mr. and Dear Mr. thereon, it is to be understood that this is exemplary only, as the essence of the invention resides in the use of a form having any appropriate prefix, salutation or expression thereon, and which may be changed readily when required. Also, while I have illustrated an addressing plate commonly used for printing the name and address, together with the Salutation, on a letter, it will be apparent that an addressing plate containing only the name and such plate. As will be apparent from the above,

my invention is not limited to addressing plates of the particular form illustrated, and I contemplate applying my invention to plates of any suitable or preferred type, including stencils, punched metal plates, plates formed from assembled lines of type or slugs, or any other equivalent structures.

In Figure 6 I have shown a modified prefix form adapted to supply the prefixes for an inside address. form is of substantially the same construction as has heretofore been described in connection with the forms 24 and 25 in that it is of dovetail shape and has the projections 26a forming the shoulders 21a and 23a, the prefix for the salutation and the prefix for the name being formed on the upper surface of the projections 26a. This form combines the two individual forms 24 and 25 in a one-piece construction. When using the form of Figure 6 the plate holder I2 is provided with a groove of substan-- tially L-shaped configuration for reception there- In both constructions of my invention illustrated by way of example, the forms and the ad dressing plate constitute an addressing plate structure comprising a plurality of elements which may be individually removed andreplaced as conditions may require.

Fro-m the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the present invention will permit of any desired prefix or title being used With the addressing plate, and While preferred embodiments of my invention have been illustrated and-described,-by way of example, it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention, and therefore I do not limit my invention to the forms thereof herein disclosed except insofar as it may be so limited in the appended claims. r r

WhatIclaimis: r 7

1. 'In combination, an addressing plate holder, at one piece addressing plate mounted in said holder, and removable prefix forms separate from holder, and removable prefix forms separate from and insertable into the marginal edges of said addressing plate for cooperating With said plate.

3. In combination; an addressing plate holder having a plurality of grooves formed therein, an. addressing plate having a plurality of slots therein mounted upon said holder with the slots in the addressing plate in register withthe grooves 4. In combination an addressing plate holder comprising a plate having a plurality ofgrooves formed therein, means carried by said plate for clamping an addressing plate thereto, and prefix -bearing means/engaging in said grooves for supplying prefixes 'for said addressing plate.- i

5. In combination, an addressing plate holder comprising a plate having a plurality of grooves formed therein, means carried by said plate for clamping an addressing plate thereto,- prefix bearing means engaging in said grooves'and provided 'with prefixes for said. addressing platefand means for releasably securing the prefix bearing means imposition. I

61 In combination, an addressing pltat'ejholder cooperating relation therecomprising a" plate having a'plurality of grooves5 formed therein, an addressing plate disposed upon said holder, said addressing plate having thereon a salutation and a name above the salutation, means for clamping the addressing plate to the holder, and removable prefix forms adapted for insertion into said grooves in cooperating relation to the addressing plate.

'7. In combination, an addressing plate holder, an addressing plate disposed upon said holder, said addressing plate having thereon a salutation and a name above the salutation, means for clamping the addressing plate to said holder, and a prefix form of substantially L-shaped configuration adapted to cooperate with said holder for supplying the prefixes for the salutation and the name above the salutation.

8. In combination, an addressing plate holder, a one piece addressing plate mounted thereon and bearing predetermined portions of a selected address and salutation, and a form bearing the remainder of the selected address and salutation and removably positionable upon the holder within the marginal edges of said addressing plate.

9. In combination, an addressing plate holder, an addressing plate mounted thereon and bearing predetermined portions of a selected address and salutation, said plate having a slot extending from one edge thereof, and a form removably positionable upon the holder and disposed to fit into the slot of the plate in the positioning of the latter upon the holder and to limit movement .of the plate toward the form, said form bearing predetermined portions of the selected address and salutation.

10. In combination, an addressing plate holder comprising a plate having a recess for reception of an addressing plate, the holder plate having a slot extending from one edge thereof inwardly of the recess, a form positionable in the slot and bearing printing characters, and an addressing plate positionable in the recess in cooperating relation to the form and bearing printing characters, said addressing plate having a slot extending from one edge thereof and adapted for reception of the upper portion of the form.

11. In addressing means for use in addressing and letter printing machines, a holder, a plate bearing the addressees name and address and the latter part of the salutation of a letter, and members fixed to the holder and bearing respectively the addressees title and the first part of the salutation, the plate having slots extending from one end thereof to accommodate said members and the latter being positionable in the slots H by relative endwise movement between the members and said plate, said members positioning the plate in the holder.

12. The combination with a fiat holder for use in addressing and letter printing machines, of a fiat plate positionable upon said holder and bearing selected printing characters, and separate units disposed on but normally removable from said holder and bearing selected printing characters for cooperation with the printing charac- 

